Maupass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Maupass is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Maupass family lived in Malpas, a parish in the union of Wrexham in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Maupass family

The surname Maupass was first found in Cheshire at Malpas, a large village and former market town, in the unions of Nantwich, Great Boughton, and Wrexham, chiefly in the Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. The barony formed part of the possessions of Earl Edwin prior to the Conquest, and was given by the first Norman earl of Chester to Robert Fitz-Hugh, one of the eight barons of his parliament. The castle, the head of the barony, was built soon after the Conquest, and stood immediately adjoining the church, but today all that is left is a circular mound, on which the keep stood. The place name literally means "the difficult passage" from the Old French words mal + pas.

Early History of the Maupass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maupass research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1625 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Maupass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maupass Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Maupass are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Maupass include Malpas, Malpus, Malpass and others.

Early Notables of the Maupass family

More information is included under the topic Early Maupass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Maupass family to Ireland

Some of the Maupass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Maupass family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Maupass, or a variant listed above: George Malpas arrived in Philadelphia in 1856.